Which electric car was Toyota’s first production battery-electric vehicle?
Answer
Toyota RAV4 EV
The Toyota RAV4 EV was Toyota’s first production battery-electric vehicle.
Toyota built the first-generation RAV4 EV from 1997 to 2003. It combined the compact RAV4 sport-utility body with a battery-electric drivetrain, making it an early example of an electric SUV offered by a major automaker.
The original model used nickel-metal hydride batteries and had front-wheel drive. Toyota produced it in limited numbers, with many vehicles supplied to fleets and customers in California. A later second-generation RAV4 EV was developed with Tesla technology and sold from 2012 to 2014.
The RAV4 EV is distinct from Toyota’s hybrid Prius, which uses a petrol engine alongside an electric motor. It is also separate from the battery-electric bZ4X, introduced decades later as part of Toyota’s newer electric-car range.